The Clock is Ticking: TikTok’s Uncertain Future in the U.S
Sana Hadid
January 15, 2025
Do you use TikTok in your day-to-day life? If you answered yes, you may have heard the recent news surrounding its future in the United States. TikTok is a social media platform launched in 2016 where its users can create, discover, and share short-form videos and interact with other users. With nearly 170 million US-based users, TikTok has become immensely popular as it has been controversial. The United States government is getting ready to ban TikTok from operating in the US, citing concerns over data privacy and national security. The ban, which is expected to take effect on January 19th, would signal a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the US and the Chinese government.
With its personalized content of short videos usually set with music, sound effects, or filters in the background, TikTok is noteworthy for its high engagement rate and addictive nature. Many people on TikTok use it for various reasons, including entertainment/infotainment, staying up-to-date with news or current events, and following brands or businesses. Fashion, beauty, cooking, and health/wellness are also popular topics among its users. First launched in September 2016 by Chinese startup company ByteDance, TikTok (also known as Douyin in China) has since climbed to the top of the social media ladder.
As of February 2024, TikTok has been downloaded nearly 4.7 billion times with almost 1.8 billion active monthly users. In addition to these outstanding statistics, TikTok is also the 5th most popular social media platform in the world, following behind Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Its tremendous growth in usage began in late 2017 when ByteDance acquired another app called Music.ly, an app similar to TikTok, and transferred its 200 million accounts over to TikTok, merging the two apps. By mid-2020, ByteDance was allegedly worth around $140 billion. In 2023, TikTok was valued at nearly $66 billion, making it the most valuable startup in the world.
With this amount of success, why does the Supreme Court want to ban TikTok in the United States? This law stems from concerns that the Chinese government could “manipulate content and gain access to sensitive user data through the app…” as stated by The New York Times. In addition, U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about national security, pointing out laws that allow the Chinese government to demand data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence-gathering operations or spread propaganda. President Biden signed this legislation into law in April of 2024, giving ByteDance until January 19, 2025, to sell it to a government-approved buyer or have the legislation be passed. If ByteDane does not sell TikTok by this deadline, it will become “illegal for distribution through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store” according to USA Today. Internet service providers must also make TikTok inaccessible in U.S. internet browsers.
The company has argued that the ban unfairly singled out TikTok and would infringe on the First Amendment. TikTok also lost its first legal effort to overturn the law on December 6, when 3 federal judges unanimously rejected TikTok’s argument. The company has said that a sale is impossible, partly because it would be blocked by the Chinese government. Michael Hughes, a spokesman for TikTok, said in a statement “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue.” He also called the ban “outright censorship of the American people.” Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown University, is among the many experts that believe the Supreme Court will take up the case and extend TikTok’s future in the U.S. He says “The Supreme Court, not wanting to see this app go dark on Jan. 19, will freeze the law, and then this gets handed over to the Trump administration and a Trump Department of Justice to figure out what they want to do.” Late on Saturday, January 18, users logging on to the app were met with a message reading, “Important update from TikTok” and were unable to use the app fully. Many were anticipating the app to go completely dark and inaccessible by the next day, January 19.
*Please note that the above information was written before the temporary ban took effect*
In a surprising turn of events, TikTok began restoring its services on Sunday after President-elect Donald Trump stated that he would revive the app’s access in the U.S. when he started his presidency on January 20. In a rally ahead of his inauguration, Trump stated “Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it.” U.S. users also reported being able to use TikTok’s website, while the more widely used app began functioning with just a few basic services. However, the app was unavailable for installment in U.S. app stores.
TikTok said in a statement, “TikTok is in the process of restoring service," also thanking President Trump for "providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive." Additionally, Trump announced that he would “extend the period of time before the law's prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security." He also stated that he would like for the United States to have 50% ownership in a joint venture, adding that he would most likely give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban once he takes office. Trump's decision to save TikTok is a change from his first term in office. In 2020, he sought to ban TikTok over concerns that American users’ information was being shared with the Chinese government. More recently, however, Trump has stated that he has a “warm spot in his heart for TikTok,” giving credit to the app for assisting him in winning young voters in the 2024 presidential election.
As the debate surrounding TikTok's presence in the US continues, one thing remains clear: the app's impact on modern society is undeniable. With over a billion active users worldwide, TikTok has not only reshaped the social media landscape but also become a significant cultural driver, influencing music trends, fashion, and entertainment. Its short-form content has also changed the way we consume and interact with information online. Although a permanent ban was narrowly avoided for now, the controversy has sparked crucial conversations about data privacy, national security, and the role of social media in our lives. As policymakers and tech companies navigate these issues, TikTok's fate remains uncertain. Whether or not the app faces a permanent ban, its influence on the social media landscape and culture is likely to be felt for years to come.
Image #1: TikTok Logo
Image #2: Graph showing the percentage of young adults who use TikTok for news
Image #3: A pop-up message notifying users they will be unable to use TikTok starting January 19, 2025